• Best Global Deployment
• Best Risk Analytics Initiative
• Best Counterparty Risk Initiative
• Best Cross-Asset Trading Initiative
• Best Data Management Initiative
• Best Infrastructure Initiative
• Most Cutting Edge IT Initiative
• Best Green IT Initiative
• Best IT Integration (Merger) Initiative
• Best Silo Buster - Team or individual
• Best CIO
• Best IT Team
• The Lifetime Achievement Award

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Best Global Deployment

This will focus on global technology deployments for wholesale trading environment. The judges will be looking for the successful deployment across at least two global regions that standardize the firm’s trading platform and improves the interactions with the local markets.

Best Risk Analytics Initiative

The winner of this award will be the buy- or sell-side financial institution that has derived the greatest benefit of its recently implemented risk analytic platform. Successful entries will demonstrate the use of new techniques for identifying and mitigating risks as well as develop new risk financing strategies..

Best Counterparty Risk Initiative

Unsatisfied with the status quo and unwilling to simply be there to placate investors and regulators, the winner on this category will be a Rick executive or team of Risk professionals who led an initiative from start to finish that transformed their firm’s counterparty risk practices. The size and scope of these initiatives can vary but what is key is the end effectiveness. The winner in this category can be a project related to data management, new processes, new valuations, new in house systems or a new build with a vendor partner(s).

Best Cross-Asset Trading Initiative

Open to individual business units. Entries should focus on single project or target business initiatives that have been in production for at least six months. The judges will be looking for creative responses to delivering cross-asset trading capabilities to its institutional clients. Clear evidence of the application of technical expertise should also feature in the entries, which must also prove achievement against pre-determined targets.

Best Data Management Initiative

The winner of this category will demonstrate an innovative data management strategy that improves data quality and reduces data costs across the enterprise through the consolidation of systems, data standardization and other efforts.

Best Infrastructure Initiative

This will focus on global infrastructure deployments for wholesale investment banking environment for the buy and sell sides. The judges will be looking for innovative strategies to deliver basic infrastructure support across the enterprise that reduces support cost and improves the delivery time of necessary resources to the local clients.

Most Cutting Edge IT Initiative

Every year, investment firms complete ambitious projects but every now and again, a firm headed by an IT visionary will undertake an IT project that leaves the competition in the dust. Whether it is leap-frogging over the rest of the pack or deploying new technology with confidence and precision, the winner of this award is willing to take chances. Send in your nominations for this new category for the enduser firm that went above and beyond in a recent IT project.

Best Green IT Initiative

It is interesting that in an era when cost trumps all other considerations, Green IT Initiatives are now viewed as mission critical. Having finally seen the numbers, executives now realize the economic value of “going green.” The winner of this category will be a project that not only delivered green results for their firms in terms of resource usage or allocation but also cut costs in a way that funds could be reallocated elsewhere.

Best IT Integration (Merger) Initiative

As the shakeout from the events of last year continue to settle over the industry and marketers complete their branding campaigns, the back office is left to cope with massive integration projects--often on a budget that is paltry at best for what needs to be accomplished. The teams that head these projects must have a grand vision and an eye for detail all at the same time. The winner of this category will be one that effectively, efficiently and successfully merged the IT infrastructure of two or more firms.

Best Silo Buster - Team or individual

Silos continue to prevent firms from achieving maximum efficiency. The challenge with getting rid of them is both cultural and technological. The IT executive(s) who successfully tackle(s) this issue must not only be a great architect but also a great politician.


Best CIO

Open to any CIO of any buy- or sell-side financial institution operating in North America. This award will go to the CIO who can show demonstrable evidence of reducing the firm’s operational risk and the amount of corporate resources needed for day-to-day operation as well as introducing new technology to support new and innovative financial products for the wholesale commercial banking community. All nomination must be made or supported by the person’s supervisor.

Best IT Team

This award will focus on the IT team from a buy- or sell-side wholesale banking or investment firm operating in the North American market. Judges will be looking for evidence on the team’s innovative problem-solving capability, on-time delivery and scale of responsibility.

The Lifetime Achievement Award

This special award will be presented to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the success of the industry.